Racing Santander players halt football match with wages protest

Players of the financially stricken Spanish third-tier club Racing Santander
refuse to play as soon as their Copa Del Rey semi-final versus Real Sociedad
kicks off

The King’s Cup descended into farce on Thursday night when Racing Santander’s players, protesting over unpaid wages, refused to challenge for the ball after their quarter-final second leg at home against Real Sociedad kicked off.

The third-tier team announced on Monday they would boycott the game unless club president Angel Lavín and the board resigned and they formed a line on the centre circle immediately after the match at the Sardinero began.

Sociedad played the ball around in their own half for about a minute before the referee consulted home captain Mario Fernández and brought the tie to a halt.

In bizarre scenes, which brought the financial difficulties hindering many Spanish clubs sharply into focus, rival players and coaching staff embraced on the pitch as the Santander fans chanted their support for the team.